*

Government agenda-literature at Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional Convention suggested three basic republic formats…

“Model A - Full Executive Power – Head of State is also the leader of the government.” (United States)

“Model B - Some Executive Power – There is both a Head of State and a leader of the government who share power.” (France)

“Model C - There is both a Head of State and a leader of the government, but the latter has little or no executive power.” (Ireland)

From Con-Con’s outset it quickly became obvious delegates had arrived with the preconceived notion of

a Model A republic

and had a

Presidential Fixation

When, during the 1990s, Australia’s prime minister offered republicans a republic and financed a referendum republicans were delighted.

However at Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional Convention it was soon revealed republicans had failed to find a suitable model and their alternative was to meaningfully manipulate the Convention agenda questions...

 * as per Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional-Convention Communiqué

  *The government put three questions to

                   Canberra’s Constitutional Convention on 2nd February, 1998…

                1.  “whether or not Australia should become a republic”

                2.  “which republic model should be put to the voters

                               to consider against the current system of government”

                3.  “In what time-frame”   (of no consequence here)

      After Convention-conversion acceptance…

                                       (ie. republic model = how to elect a president)

     *Three “categories of model for a republic” were before the Convention...

                       1. Direct Election.

                       2. Parliamentary election by a special majority.

                       3. Appointment by a special council

                                          following Prime Ministerial nomination.

.

                        …in deciding a president would be Australia’s head-of-state… And, having no model for that republic, they set about (s)electing a method to elect a president… Around whom to build their republic.

Thus the method to select a president became the model for our republic

Doubtless republicans had combed the world for a suitable model and if an acceptable system had existed we would today be republic… For the world has not and has not seen a republic system suitable for this unique country… A suitable system which needs to be uniquely Australian.

Republicans still try to define an executive model for a president as seemingly the sole path to a republic… Whereas Canberra’s Con-Con agenda’s literature suggested models A, B and C for Australia’s republic.

Sadly the founding of our nation was overlooked… Australia’s federation and its six colonies which established our Commonwealth of Australia were ignored.

Australia’s six disparate colonies formed a union wherein it is unlikely the subject of head-of-state was raised as each had its own head-of-state at the time (as states still do) and that head-of-state they held in-common.

None of the colonies forfeited its head-of-state and now early in the 21st century with a republic a consideration it is maintained each state has a say, not just in becoming republic, but in provision of the head-of-state…  Fact is, a republic of those colonies is to be founded and it could be said that a…

States Head-of-State Selection (STATES)

…republic is Australia’s preconceived republic…

Preconceived by the founders of the Commonwealth of Australia

                                                   Yogi

                                                                                                                              3  October  2002

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yogi Marriott                                                  CLAREMONT   7011   HOBART                                                  3   October   2002

 

Since 1901 politics has in some instances overtaken the federation’s principles of Australia’s parliament.

And politicians can be seen to have assumed that which borders on sovereignty…

For both sides of politics have illustrated they are prepared to employ the adoption of a republic for political gain.

Whereas a reigning prime minister is realistically the only person able to proclaim a referendum, STATES affords orderly machinery for the people of Australia to instigate a move towards constitutional referenda.

And a republic is surely the province of the people of a democracy not the prerogative of a sole political-party leader of any persuasion.

 

See “A Model-B Republic”

“STATES affords Australians vision of the future after a YES vote at referendum... A future almost identical with what exists now in Australia but having a federation-style head-of-state not an executive president along with “A provision allowing ongoing consideration of constitutional change” as per the Communiqué issued at the conclusion of Canberra’s 1998 Constitutional Convention.”

 

Revisited 3rd March, 2008

Website Uploaded 2003

STATES Devised 1998

Conceived Mid-1990s

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